Lingering
by BookWorm39
Summary: Because no matter how hard you try, some things just won't go away. And some things, you can never quite forgive yourself for. (Sequel to 'Falling Into Chaos' Contains some swearing, but mostly PG.)


Dark Pit stared the door from where he laid on his bed. He heard people outside of his room. He didn't care. They probably didn't want to talk to him anyway. And he _didn't_ care.

...Maybe he cared a little. He had trouble telling anymore.

Having a being of pure evil and destruction inhabit his body had messed him up pretty badly. Or maybe it just revealed how he'd always felt, and now he was in denial.

His eyes turned to the ceiling. He wondered if Palutena struggled like this. Probably not. For all the crap he gave her, she was steadfast in her own morality. The dark angel might not always agree with her, but he'd give her that: the goddess of light always seemed to know what was right, at least in her mind.

Dark Pit didn't agree with it, mind you. Or... maybe he did? He wasn't sure.

A groan escaped his mouth as he rolled onto his stomach. Everything was _wrong_ now. Before, he'd just did what he wanted, without a care in the world. But now… now he might care. Care about people other than himself. Feeling shame at nearly being used to destroy the world was one thing-even in the earliest moments of his life, he knew he wasn't like that-but now he felt concern, compassion, for individuals. For the eccentric residents of Viridi's temple, which he now called home. Hell, Viridi herself wasn't that bad, as she kept hemming and hawing about whether or not she would leave the humans alone. She still didn't like them, and he still didn't like her, but everyone tolerated each other more now. Palutena was alright. And Pit…

Was it greed or compassion that broke the dark angel free? A selfish desire to not risk his life, to keep his counterpart alive for his own sake, or the fear of losing Pit, the realization that the other angel saw something in him, that this was the closest thing to a friendship he'd probably ever have? He wasn't sure, not after the Chaos Kin was defeated, not after knowing-somehow knowing-that Pit was in danger and taking the Lightning Chariot in for a rescue, and certainly not after their post-victory flight together.

 _"You know, Pittoo, you're not so bad!"_

 _The satisfied smile on his face disappeared. "Huh?"_

 _"Yeah!" Pit balled up his hand and extended it for a fistbump.. "I think… I think we can really be friends!"_

 _Quietly staring. A churn in his stomach. "...I need to go."_

How dare he? After everything-after trying to kill each other multiple times, after one succumbed to the Chaos Kin, after all the things the monster had whispered, the very things that left Dark Pit struggling with himself now-the light angel still offered his hand in friendship. _Moron._ Why? He couldn't trust his clone. Dark Pit couldn't even trust himself-he couldn't tell whether Pit's leap of faith would've paid off or not. Would he just wind up betraying Pit in some way?

Even if he didn't, he felt a friendship would fail. That was another emotion he was struggling with-now he knew. Watching Pit, losing control of his body during the three year war-Pit was the original. The superior. He'd never admit it, never be humiliated outwardly by the information, but he knew it now. Pit was, without a doubt, better than him. And why would Pit waste his time with somebody was was just an inferior version of himself? _I wouldn't bother with me if I were him,_ Dark Pit thought, pressing his face into his pillow.

The door to Dark Pit's room was thrown open, and he jumped, rolling onto his side to see who it was. Phosphora leaned into his room. "Hey! Captain Despair! Somebody's here looking for you!"

"Tell them I'm not here," Dark Pit muttered, grabbing the pillow he'd been faceplanting (and definitely _not_ considering crying into, thank you very much) and pressing it over his head. After a moment of silence, he sat up suddenly. "Wait, what did you just call m-"

"C'mon!" Before the angel could react, Phosphora had crossed the room and started dragging him out of bed by his feet. "You seem even more gloomy than usual."

Dark Pit kicked at her, yelling, "Let go! Leave me alone!" He broke one leg loose, then sighed. "Look, I've been thinking about something lately, and I'm really not in the mood-"

"Oh, really? Would this motivate you?" The angel looked up, only to see a ball of electricity in Phosphora's free hand.

"Don't you-" Dark Pit screamed as she threw the lightning ball at his head. He ducked, breaking his other leg free from her grip as he did. He rolled off of the bed, feeling under the mattress. Hadn't he tossed his bow down there? "Knock it off, you crazy-" He yelled, but was cut off when he felt a hand grab the back of his tunic and drag him out from under the bed.

"Alright, you asked for it!" Both of the demigoddess's hands crackled with electricity, and a wicked grin spread across her face. "Clear!"

"No, no, no, no, no!" Dark Pit scrambled to his feet, vaulting over his bed and through the door. He was so focused on escaping Phosphora that it never occurred to him to slow down, so he was forced to stop when he slammed headlong into the wall on the other side of the hallway and was knocked flat into his rear.

He rubbed his forehead, groaning in pain. Upon hearing Phosphora laughing and a gasp of concern from whoever was visiting, he snapped, "You set me up, didn't you?!"

"Pittoo!"

"Are you alright?"

Dark Pit groaned louder, covering his eyes with his hands and flopping back onto the floor as he did. _Yup. Definitely a set-up._

"There you go!" When Dark Pit uncovered his eyes, Phosphora was floating over him, grinning and flashing a finger gun. "Told you guys I could get him out."

"This seems a bit extreme, doesn't it?" Palutena looked down at Dark Pit with concern. His face flushed, and his eyes darted back to the floor.

"Nah, dude's fine. Just being a baby about it. You angels are kinda indestructible, ya know?"

"Uh, thanks?"

"Well, I suppose that's that, Pit. I'll go speak with Viridi now, if that's alright."

"Of course! Thanks for bringing me, Lady Palutena." Phosphora mimed a opening and closing mouth with her hand, but stopped when Pit turned to her. "Hey, uh, and thanks for going to get him, Phosphora. You didn't have to-"

"Aw, don't worry! It was fun." Phosphora said, punctuating herself with a quick salute. "Alright, well, it's been a blast, but I'm gonna go. Later, nerds!" She darted off down the hall, while Palutena look one last look at Dark Pit before sighing and walking in the opposite direction, presumably to speak with Viridi.

Dark Pit had stubbornly refused to look up the entire time, so it wasn't until Pit cleared his throat that he noticed the hand extended to help him up. He nearly took it, too, before thinking better of it. Instead, he pushed Pit's hand away and forced a scowl.

(And here it was again. Another perfect example: He felt his heart swell a bit upon finding out Pit was coming to visit, and upon realizing that Pit was probably there specifically for him; but he refused to let himself enjoy, because that would just result in them getting closer, and gods know that wouldn't end well-)

"So, uh, are you just gonna sit on the floor all day?" Pit said, snapping Dark Pit out of his thoughts. The dark angel looked up from the floor as Pit blabbered on. "'Cause, I mean, if you really want, that's fine! i-I could join you-"

"Just be quiet." Dark Pit took a deep breath, then pushed himself up off the floor. "What are you doing here, anyway?" He didn't bother waiting for an answer before he started heading back towards his room.

"Well, uh-Hey, wait!" Pit hurried to keep up once he realized Dark Pit was leaving. "I just wanted to see you! Y'know, make sure you're doing alright?"

"Well, you've seen me." Dark Pit stopped in place in the doorway, causing Pit to nearly bump into him. "Congratulations." _Now will you please leave before I change my mind?_ he added internally, but he didn't dare voice it.

"Well, yeah, b-but… Y'know, after the whole thing with Hades, we haven't really spent a lot of time together, and I wanted to check in on my new friend?" Pit said, tapping Dark Pit's shoulder as he did.

 _Don't call us friends._ Please _don't call us friends._ Dark Pit took a deep, shaky breath, then shook his head and continued into his room. "You just wanted to pay me back for all the times I pestered you, is more likely."

"Ugh, come on!" Pit ran around in front of Dark Pit. "Why are you acting like this?! I came here because I was worried about you; why won't you just talk to me?!"

 _Worried._ Dark Pit shook his head, pushing Pit lightly in the chest. "What makes you think I want to talk to you?"

"Then just say that!" Dark Pit jumped back slightly. He hadn't expected Pit to… snap like that. The light angel balled his fists, his wings puffed up in agitation. "You won't tell me anything! I still don't know whether you want me around or not. If you want me to go away, you have to tell me! And…" Pit trailed off, then said quietly, "...and I will, alright?"

The silence that hung in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. Dark Pit crossed his arms, turning his body away. He wanted to say it so badly. _I hate you. The only reason I want you alive is for my own sake. As long as you don't get your stupid hide in trouble again, I never want to see you again._

He wanted to say it so badly. It would be easier. Easier than… this. Easier than avoiding the subject, than insulting his white-winged counterpart while still letting him stay around, than the half-hearted attempts to convince Pit to leave him alone.

Pit was annoying, even sickening, in how sure he was that they could be friends, and Dark Pit wasn't sure whether to snap him out of it or let him carry on.

 _The problem is, Dark Pit is fundamentally wicked and destructive._

 _What would you know about loyalty, you traitorous blackheart?!_

 _It seems the Chaos Kin and I think alike._

He turned away from his doppelganger, taking a shaky breath. Was he…?

 _No. Not in front of him. Please._

"Pittoo?" He felt Pit grab his hand, tugging lightly. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Wrong. He and Pit becoming friends was… _wrong._ Seemingly against his very nature. And yet, some small part of him hoped that that wasn't the truth, that things could be different.

"No, no! You weren't supposed to-" Pit grabbed his clone's shoulder and spun him around. Dark Pit flinched away, pulling his scarf up over part of his face. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough fabric to reach his eyes, and the distressed gesture probably just served to highlight his misty eyes. "You weren't- I didn't mean to make you cry!"

How could he explain it? Dark Pit could barely make sense of his own dilemma; how could he express it to someone else? He turned sideways, drawing in a shaky breath. "Aren't we supposed to be enemies?"

Put blanked, blue eyes widened in confusion. "Why? You're not working with the Underworld, and even if you do join Viridi, I'm not really sure if she's planning to cause any trouble any time soon."

"Well, I…" Dark Pit sighed, throwing his balled fists to his sides. "We just… are, aren't we?! The Underworld created me to destroy you, and even if I didn't side with them, I still seemed damn sure that that's what I was going to do!" His eyes fell to the floor as he muttered, "What kind of moron would want me around after all the trouble I caused them?"

Pit went quiet for a bit before he answered. "Well, yeah, but people change. Not every good person stays like that, and neither do bad people. Besides," Pit smiled, "if there's any one word I use to describe you, it's 'unexpected.'" Dark Pit looked up in confusion, and Pit continued, "I mean, since when have you done what you're supposed to do? You backhanded Pandora, the very goddess who created you, in the _face_. In your _first ten seconds of existence._ You really think what you're likely to do is what your actually going to do? Since when?"

Dark Pit groaned. "Well, maybe this time it is what's going to happen! Hades said it, you and Palutena said it, the gods-damn Chaos Kin said-" He trailed off abruptly when he realized what he'd said, and when he saw the dawning realization and concern it Pit's eyes. "...Never mind," he grumbled, trying to turn away. However, before he could, Pit grabbed his wrists.

"Pittoo, listen to me." Pit took his doppelgangers chin in one hand, forcing him to look up. "The Chaos Kin's just an evil, lying bug. Don't let what it said get to you, alright?" Pit took a deep breath, then smiled sadly. "You're leagues better than that thing. And I don't care what it would've taken, I would've done anything to save you from it, the same way you helped me save Lady Palutena."

 _'You helped me save Lady Palutena.'_ Dark Pit caught onto what Pit was implying, and, to his surprise, felt one corner of his mouth curl up. "That was different," he protested, looking away. "I had to do it. Otherwise, I'd die, too."

"No, you didn't. Viridi could've kept me alive. You didn't have to save Lady Palutena to save yourself. Why'd you really do it, then?" Pit asked, cocking one eyebrow.

 _Because I couldn't handle the thought of anybody suffering that kind of death._

 _Because the world needed you and Palutena._

 _Because I'd seen people suffer every time I regained awareness over those long three years, and I couldn't stand it anymore._

 _Because I knew in my gut how much she meant to you, and I couldn't let you lose her._

With a start, Dark Pit realized Pit was watching him expectedly. He jerked his head away, muttered, "I just did, alright?"

"Alright, so you're telling me you just did it because it was the right thing to do?" Dark Pit's eyes went wide with realization, while Pit grinned. "That sure sounds like what you're telling me, huh?"

"Shut up." Dark Pit spun around, scratching at the back of his head sheepishly. "That's not what I- Just- Shut up!"

Pit bit back a chuckle. "Aw, somebody ashamed to admit he has a soft side?" He heard a muffled groan in response, and sighed. "Hey, listen to me." He reached out, grabbing Dark Pit's hand again. "I believe in you. We're friends, alright?" Pit froze, then added, "I-I mean, only if you want! It's totally cool if you still don't-"

Dark Pit jerked his hand away suddenly, turning back to face Pit. He scanned the other angel's face, before sighed and, ever so slightly, smiling up at Pit. "Yeah, actually. That sounds… nice."

Pit grinned. "Really?!" Dark Pit nodded in response, and Pit nearly squealed in excitement. "That's amazing! Hey, when are you free? You can come visit Skyworld and we can hang out and Lady Palutena can make us both dinner and we can all help dessert and-"

Dark Pit didn't bother trying to get it a word around Pit's babbling. It was just comforting to see the other so happy, after all the pain he'd been through.

 _Maybe,_ Dark Pit thought, _we can be friends after all._

* * *

 _A/N: Alright, first off: the ending was written while listening to Caleb Hyles' cover of 'Love Like You,' and I feel like that should be pointed out._

 _Second off: ayyy, the sequel to Falling Into Chaos! Because I wasn't just gonna let Pittoo sit on the angst he went through. I was wondering whether I should take the time to give this a good editing, but I figured it'd just be easier to post this bad boy right away, since it's already been so long since I first posted FiC._

 _Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! I've got a couple of canon-verse KI one-shots planned, so keep your eyes peeled for that!_


End file.
